Scan 15
Musical Courier 1901-12-25: Vol 43 Iss 1135, 1901
57 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 16. See the scan on archive.org.
1excepting the Bostonians, what advantage is a well trained voice in this field? Given a pretty face, slim figure and pleasing manner—an untrained voice will do quite as well.
3When are we Americans ever to awaken to the fact of our own ability?
5If Europe sees such marvelous ability in our native young artists, why can't our country rise to the opportunity, rally to the support of the efforts already made to have opera in English in all our large cities, and give the native talent a chance at home. Let us hope that this awakening is near at hand.
7Katharine Fisk Sings with Nordica.
9MRS. KATHARINE FISK, the distinguished contralto, after a brilliant appearance in St. Louis, December 9, with Madame Nordica in song recital, filled an engagement at Colorado Springs, December 13. Mrs. Fisk was accorded the ovation which meets her wherever she sings, as will be seen by the appended press notices:
11It is not necessary to say very much for Mrs. Fisk. She is known throughout America and abroad as an artist of the very first rank. There are few concert singers to be compared with her. Her register is remarkable, her intelligence is unfailing as is the variety and sureness of her interpretations. She is at times boldly dramatic and again subtly gentle and has, fortunately, a voice sufficient to the demands of a program whose range is from Brahms to Nevin and the most exquisite of present day ballad composers.
13The program last night was admirably selected with a view toward variety. Goldmark's "Ode" was magnificently sung, and roused the audience to enthusiasm.—Colorado Springs Evening Telegram, December 14, 1901.
15Mrs. Katharine Fisk last evening gave one of the most enjoyable song recitals ever heard in Perkins Hall. Her voice is a splendid contralto, her training is excellent and her choice of songs very happy. Her voice, which for strength and depth of tone is remarkable, extends into the soprano register as well. Her presence, which is that of a woman as beautiful as her voice, lent an additional charm to her singing.
17One of the most enjoyable numbers of the evening was a group of five biblical songs by Dvorák, the first public production of which was given by Mrs. Fisk at the London Philharmonic Society, under the personal direction of the composer.—Colorado Springs Gazette, December 14, 1901.
19Mme. De Vere-Sapio's Australian Triumphs.
21THE critics of the Antipodes continue to laud the singing of Madame de Vere-Sapio in opera. The following were received recently:
23The season of Italian opera at Her Majesty's got an immense "lift" by the appearance of Madame De Vere-Sapio in the name part of Aida on Monday night. Both in vocal and dramatic sense the new Aida delighted the big house. Good judges who have seen lately Madame Melba at Covent Garden declare that it is almost impossible to distinguish between her beauty of voice and polished refinement of vocal skill and such a flawless performance as Madame De Vere-Sapio gave us on Monday night. One enthusiast said: "I could fancy I was hearing Melba all the time."—Sydney Sportsman, August 14, 1901.
25The feature in the repetition of "Aida" was the first appearance of Madame De Vere-Sapio in the name part. Besides looking admirably the character of the handsome Ethiopian, Madame De Vere-Sapio sang the part beautifully. Her great success was in the rendering of "Cielo azzurri," which realized all the plaintive charm of the wild melody.—Sydney Morning Herald, August 13, 1901.
27Madame De Vere-Sapio, warmly greeted on making her appearance as Gilda, looked younger and even more attractive (this is a spontaneous, not a stereotyped expression of admiration) than she did in 1894. She charmed us all by her beautiful and exquisitely artistic singing, and at the same time won her way into the favor of the critical by her display of easy grace as an actress.—Sydney Punch, August 15, 1901.
29The announcement that Madame De Vere-Sapio was to take the role of Santuzza in "Cavalleria" created a keen personal interest in the revival. We were all prepared to hear Santuzza's music finely sung, and most of us were predisposed to an adequate display of intelligent and well studied acting. The surprise was in the perfectly graded emotional feeling, the alternate play of affection, aversion, fervent hope, passionate pleading and consuming, revengeful desire, which characterized the singing and the acting of the "trust- ing woman basely scorned," from the balmy Easter morn to the final scene.
31Without once letting her feet wander into the forbidden paths of exaggeration, Madame De Vere-Sapio gave us a Santuzza in which there were no weak spots and not a touch of insincere slovenliness or false color.—Sydney Punch, August 29, 1901.
33Mr. Gregory Hast
34Famous English Tenor.
35Of the St. James Hall, Popular, London Ballad, Queen's Hall, Oratorio, Crystal Palace, Saturday and Royal Albert Hall Concerts.
36Sole Direction:
37Loudon G. Charlton,
38Carnegie Hall, New York.
39GREGORY HAST.
40IN AMERICA ONLY NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 1901.
42HUGO KAUN.
44ON October 8 Hugo Kaun, a German composer who has been artistically active for several years in Milwaukee, gave a concert devoted to his own works, the execution of which he entrusted to the baritone Van Eweyk and the pianist Bos from Berlin, and the Leipzig String Quartet of Hamann, Hering, Heintzoch and Robert Hansen. The performance comprised the String Quartet, op. 41; the Piano Quartet, op. 39, and the lieder 'Das Mondlicht flutet,' 'Königin der Nacht,' 'Rother Mohn,' 'Wetterleuchten,' 'Schneidermär,' 'Der Sieger' and 'Daheim,' and all the pieces gave brilliant evidence of the unusual talent in composition of their creator and his astonishing mastery of all musical means of expression; in one word, they displayed Hugo Kaun as a real master in this field of composition, who in point of invention stands thoroughly on his own feet, and in all the artistic working out of his thoughts never lets us miss the internal warmth of a deep and truly sensitive disposition. A serious, dreamy mood, which is not quite hidden in the Scherzo of the Quartet and in the jesting 'Schneidermär' (which was redeemed), gives to the works before us a special coloring, and completes the profile of this eminent tone poet.
46"The string quartet of only three movements begins with a four voiced fugue that exhibits the composer as a contrapunctist of the first magnitude in its bold yet always legal development, and in spite of all its learning leaves not a trace of the school dust so often united with such works, but contributes rich nourishment to the soul of the hearer. Equally valuable in its noble fancy and its glowing temperamental contents, but still more effective, is the third movement. The main part of the scherzo flows on with airy lightness, compared with which the middle episode is somewhat inferior in invention and clearness. The four movements of the piano quintet are on the same level of value, not only in the facture and tone blending, but also in inventive power and poetic contents. The first movement, impregnated with deep yet modest feeling, denoting inward happiness, puts a most effective contrast in the finale, with fresh, impetuous joy of life. Of very peculiar, even fabulous charm is the intermezzo in the second place, and a warm outbreak of feeling from the beginning to the end forms the third movement. As a lieder composer Kaun has caught with full congeniality the mood of the poetry, and as regards the declamatory handling of the text and the refinement with which he, without depriving the vocal part of its independence, uses the piano accompaniment to enhance the effect of the whole, he has created cabinet pieces which bear comparison with recognized flowers of German musical lyrics, and, like the chamber pieces just mentioned, adorn any good concert program. Hugo Kaun is once more a melancholy example that composers who have something special and original to say and can utter it in artistic form are able only slowly to attain general recognition, and that they have often to cut for themselves a path thereto by brave pecuniary sacrifices (printing, public performances at their own risk, &c.). May the exertions which Hugo Kaun has also made be not in vain; he is thoroughly deserving of the attention of all givers of concerts who can diffuse the knowledge of a new, highly important composer."—Leipsic Musikal Wochenblatt.
48"In Arthur von Eweyk's liederabend in Bechstein Hall, the compositions of Hugo Kaun claim especial interest, because they belong to the rare appearances in the concert hall. But this will in the future be changed if one may judge from the success which some of those heard yesterday gained. The striking 'Der Sieger' was redeemed and given da capo; next to it were especially pleasing 'Das Mondlicht flutet,' 'Rother Mohn' and the humorous 'Schneidermär.' All the six lieder of Kaun were artistically valuable, but as this does not always conduce to success, let us bring forward with praise their grateful songfulness."—O. T., Berlin Börsen Courier.
50"On Thursday Hugo Kaun, of Milwaukee, produced some of his own works at the Beethoven Hall. The concertgiver is remembered from last year, when he presented some of his chamber and vocal music at the Bechstein Hall as an excellent artist struggling toward higher aims. The two new symphonic orchestral pieces, 'Minnehaha's Death' and 'Hiawatha,' form the beginning of a cycle of instrumental music entitled 'The Primeval Forest,' which the composer intends to write. Their most prominent quality is the way in which Kaun handles the orchestra. Here we have to do with a conductor who thoroughly knows the instruments and the art of handling them, and how to blend his colors. This full, sane 'Klang' is a skillfully made robe, which not only gleams in real beauty but often is woven in a thoroughly characteristic manner. That traces of Wagner can be found is not to be reckoned a defect, for our generation must naturally incline toward him. The themes are clearly divided, and so powerful, melodically or rhythmically, that more extensive movements can be built up with them, and this has been successfully done by the composer, who is full of fancy and thoroughly at home in the technic of counterpoint and movement building. The symphonic character at the same time is happily preserved, so that the thematic work extends chiefly to the main themes and a number of other motives are not forced too far into the foreground.
52"Herr Kaun in conducting the Philharmonic Orchestra displayed the sureness which only the practice of years can give. Among the songs sung by Fräulein Polly Victoria Blumenbach are many beautiful thoughts which did not fail in their effect on the public. Two of them were demanded and Herr Kaun was repeatedly distinguished by recalls."—Franz von Hennig, Berlin Reichsbote.
54"Next day, a composer living in Milwaukee, who has, however, enjoyed German training, Hugo Kaun, produced some orchestral pieces and a series of lieder with piano accompaniment. An overture to the opera 'The Painter of Antwerp,' two pieces from a symphonic poem, 'The Primeval Forest,' and a Festival March showed decided talent. The melodic invention and the resulting development of a broadly designed structure, and, above all, the handling of the orchestra, made us recognize an admirable, cultured musician, who directs at the same time with sureness and repose."—E. G. Taubert, Berlin Post.
56"The name of Hugo Kaun has been often mentioned by me in these columns, and as readers will remember always with the fullest acknowledgment of the unusual achievements of its owner. Yesterday Herr Kaun showed himself on a new side, as the creator of great instrumental tone poems, of which the overture to the opera 'The Painter of Antwerp,' two symphonic pieces from 'The Primeval Forest,' 'Minnehaha's Death' and 'Hiawatha,' after Longfellow, and a Festival March, in which the 'Star Spangled Banner' is used, appeared in the program. At the very first glance Kaun impresses us by his masterly instrumentation, in which he rivals the most important of the moderns. This orchestration is as characteristic as it is of striking beauty. But what distinguishes this composer honorably from many moderns is that behind the beautiful body of sound there stands the firm framework of precious musical thoughts, and not, as often, any attempt to disguise poverty of thought by deceptive ornamentation. I call the thoughts precious because they are sharply defined and expressive, and, although complying with the musical dialect of the present, still find their origin in the soul of an independent creative artist. Add to this the art of thematic work, which is far above the average. In the presence of such a union of unusual artistic qualities we are, as soon as we are acquainted with the peculiarities of Kaun's orchestral music, drawn into its
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